1. Docent Clean up List: Docent Setup List: Urban / Street Art
Give each student:
1 tag board paper
1 pencil,
1 black sharpie
1 large colored paper
1 glue stick
Give each table :
Basket of scissors
2-3 erasers
Watercolor ‘sprays’
Colored / Neon sharpies (optional)
Make sure names are on paper(s)
Place completed art work on drying racks – remember to label with teachers name
Wipe down tables, refill any items and return to bins as you found them
Close the lens cap to turn the projector off
Send to parents about the lesson – thanks for doing this and leading the lesson!
This lesson work best if you have sent home the letter to the parents with a piece of large construction paper for students to practice their Moniker. A copy is in with your paper ready to give to the teacher to distribute.
This will start the conversation around social responsibility and the other is it gives students and opportunity to think about what they would like their moniker to be – best ones are those limited to 5 letters or are nicknames.
Make sure students practice on the paper that you will ideally send home with students a couple of days before this lesson occurs. Have students bring it back the day of the lesson. If you elect not to do this start the lesson by having them draw their moniker on the newspaper. Do not give newspaper out 2 times - thanks.
Please refill the watercolor sprays – based on last year, less is more in terms of the spraying – trust me! Stick to only putting out lighter colors (dark blue, purple should NOT be used)
Last advice – keep the colored paper and only put out once they have finished spraying – you may want to clear off table then give them the ‘wall’ to decorate.

2. Urban / Street Art Art@Booksin
Welcome in the students. State the lesson name.
This lesson work best if you have sent home the letter to the parents with a piece of large construction paper for students to practice their Moniker. A copy is in with your paper ready to give to the teacher to distribute.
This will start the conversation around social responsibility and the other is it gives students and opportunity to think about what they would like their moniker to be – best ones are those limited to 5 letters or are nicknames.
Make sure students practice on the paper that you will ideally send home with students a couple of days before this lesson occurs. Have students bring it back the day of the lesson. If you elect not to do this start the lesson by having them draw their moniker on the newspaper. Do not give newspaper out 2 times - thanks.
Please refill the watercolor sprays – based on last year, less is more in terms of the spraying – trust me! Stick to only putting out lighter colors (dark blue, purple should NOT be used)
Last advice – keep the colored paper and only put out once they have finished spraying – you may want to clear off table then give them the ‘wall’ to decorate.

3. Today’s Lesson Skill Development: Urban / Street Art
Today you will learn about street art, artists, and social responsibility while creating a graffiti-style name
Social responsibility - What do you think is the artists responsibility when creating “Public Art” versus vandalizing public property?
Introduction to street art.
You will learn:
that lettering is not only important in communicating, but that it can also be an artistic expression
Gradation, shading and layering of colors
Explain the lesson objective and description.
Emphasize social responsibility – no permission = vandalism.

4. What is Street art? Urban / Street Art
Displaying a work of art in a public place allows an artist to reach a very wide audience.
Street art can include stenciling, stickers, fly-posting and free-hand drawing.
Today, more so than ever before, street art is being recognized around the world as a true art form.
Some people see it as valuable art, others as simply vandalism. What do you think?
Street art can simply be bringing color into grey spaces. Watch this short video on street art
The image is a Keith Haring reproduction, the original was painted over.
Graffiti has existed since ancient times, and so has the controversy surrounding it — is it vandalism or is it art? Often, the only difference is a matter of gaining permission from the property owner. “Street artists,” or “urban artists” are terms that are often used to differentiate those whose intentions are to create artwork from those who are intentionally being destructive. Whatever the intentions may be, the legality of creating it is the first and most important question to be raised.

5.  ‘Shop Until you Drop’, Mayfair, London UK
Urban / Street Art
Some of the most influential Street Art:
Banksy
Ask students if they see this as vandalism or as permitted Street Art?
 ‘Shop Until you Drop’, Mayfair, London UK

6. Yellow Lines Flower Painter, Pollard Street, E2. London
Urban / Street Art
Banksy
The notorious street artist has created art all over the world, been nominated for an academy award and been shown in major galleries ... all while remaining mysteriously unknown.
Banksy has managed to keep his identity well hidden, he has sold many of his works and has proven that Street Art is an influential and lucrative art movement. Many of his works are witty and make social commentaries. This piece cleverly uses the double yellow lines (meaning no parking in UK) and pulls them up the gable end and into a painting of a flower. Is the man holding the roller a self portrait of Banksy?
Yellow Lines Flower Painter, Pollard Street, E2. London

7. All in San Francisco and San Jose
Urban / Street Art
All in San Francisco and San Jose
Docents – here I have taken photos of street art in San Francisco and San José. All of these were permitted by the Cities. Look how beautiful you can make a set of stairs or an building end. Street art does not have to be a name, although artist’s tag’s are the inspiration of today’s lesson. Other examples are the utility boxes that have been painted throughout the city – isn’t that a wonderful art project?
Is the 5th grade mural street art?

8. What is a “Moniker”? Urban / Street Art
This is the most common form of graffiti (no permission).
However, one of the first pieces an artist in this genre will create is his or her own personalized signature.
A good moniker will showcase an artist's talent and skill - limit to 4-5 letters.
In this lesson students are to create a visual project that is urban inspired – they should write their name, a phrase or nickname of no more than 5 letters.
Please send home the letter the week or night before the lesson so students think about their ‘moniker’ ahead of the lesson.
It can be anything: your initials, your favorite color, your middle name, your initials plus a number that you like, an abbreviation of a word, something you like about yourself, such as Poet, or a word that describes you, such as Tiny.
Important elements to keep in mind are how long your name is (five letters or less is best) and how the
letters look and sound together when written. You can add quotation and exclamation marks, a star, a heart, a halo, an arrow, an
underline, or a simple character.

9. Lettering styles are widely varied – here are some :
Urban Art
Lettering styles are widely varied – here are some :
Today we are focusing on Bubble Letters or Block Letters as our style.

10. Process: Urban / Street Art
Sketch your moniker to the full size of the tag board.
Outline it using black sharpie.
Apply spray liquid watercolors to the design. Create shading, gradations, or just random spots of color
Leave to dry on racks
Select background paper
Draw out a background with sharpies
This lesson work best if you (as the docent) have sent home the letter provided to the parents as you will need to keep students pushing through this to get it completed in time. The letter serves two purposes; 1. to start the conversation around social responsibility and 2. gives students an opportunity to think about what they would like their moniker to be – best ones are those limited to 5 letters or are nicknames.
Make sure students practice on the newspaper that you will ideally send home with students a couple of days before this lesson occurs. Have students bring it back the day of the lesson. If you elect not to do this start the lesson by having them draw their moniker on the newspaper. Do not give newspaper out 2 times - thanks.
Students should keep their moniker as a block (see next page for example)
Please refill the watercolor sprays – based on last year, less is more in terms of the spraying – trust me! Stick to only putting out lighter colors (dark blue, purple should NOT be used). Put it on racks to dry. Whilst drying work on the wall / background.

11. Urban / Street Art Cut it out (by block). Choose your wall color
Glue it to the ‘wall’ paper
Add further designs in background, these can be outlines, shadows, brick pattern etc.
You need to keep students pushing through this to get it completed in time.

12. Urban / Street Art Art@Booksin
Docents have this slide on the screen while students are working on their piece – thank you!
This school version of graffiti shows students that lettering is not only important in communicating, but that it can also be an artistic expression – reemphasize when closing the lesson that no permission = vandalism. Students must be socially responsible.

13. Lesson plan adapted from DICKBLICK.com
Art history lesson slides are original and built mainly from Children’s book of Art – Modern Art.
By Tara Button
February 2016, revised and updated September 2017